Android spinner prompt text not showing

Question

The first year from the data array is shown instead of the text from prompt in my spinner. I tried adding the prompt in XML, but I also tried from code. Furthermore, it gives me a "resource not found error", when adding the spinnerSelector attribute.

XML

<Spinner
    android:id="@+id/spinnerYear"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_marginLeft="10dip"
    android:layout_marginRight="10dip"
    android:drawSelectorOnTop="true"
    android:padding="5dip"
    android:prompt="@string/spinner_header"
    android:background="@drawable/selector_yearspinnerback"
    android:layout_below="@+id/linearLayout_gender_btns"
    android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"></Spinner>
  -- android:spinnerSelector="@drawable/category_arrow"

Code

ArrayList<String> yearList = new ArrayList<String>();
int now = new Date().getYear() + 1900;
for (int i = now; i > now - 110; i--) {
    yearList.add(i + "");
}
Spinner spinner = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.spinnerYear);
ArrayAdapter<String> adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item, yearList);
adapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
spinner.setAdapter(adapter);

Where did you get android:spinnerSelector? It's nor part of public SDK. — Pointer Null, Oct 03 '11 at 08:23
Don't trust the tutorial then. spinnerSelector doesn't seem to be in the SDK. — Pointer Null, Oct 03 '11 at 08:28

score 42 · Answer 1 · edited Mar 28 '13 at 17:04

42

Perhaps you are seeing the spinner drop down items as list without any prompt text. There are two modes in which spinner shows the items, dropdown and dialog.

Add this attribute to your spinner as an XML atrtribute:

android:spinnerMode="dialog"

And you will now get items in a popup dialog select list instead of drop down list.

edited Mar 28 '13 at 17:04

Peter Mortensen

30,738
21
105
131

answered Jan 27 '13 at 09:38

HimalayanCoder

9,630
6
59
60

Insightful, does the dialog option automatically handle scrolling if the list is too long? – t3dodson Jul 15 '14 at 05:16
Yes, it handle by spinner dialog. – james Jun 13 '16 at 12:29
1

Can we not set the prompt for the dropdown menu? – h8pathak Jul 26 '16 at 09:21

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited Mar 28 '13 at 17:03

You have to set adapter.setDropDownViewResource (android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item); after

spinner.setAdapter(adapter);

So the fixed code would be:

ArrayList<String> yearList = new ArrayList<String>();
int now = new Date().getYear() + 1900;
for (int i = now; i > now - 110; i--) {
    yearList.add(i + "");
}
Spinner spinner = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.spinnerYear);
ArrayAdapter<String> adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item, yearList);
spinner.setAdapter(adapter);
adapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);

(I hope it works for you like it works for me :D!)

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 03 '11 at 08:26

0

For me, both android:prompt XML attibute as well as Spinner.setPrompt work, and list selector displays correct title.

Try to find bug in your code, or make call to Spinner.getPrompt at some point and print this to log, to find our from where you get invalid title.

answered Oct 03 '11 at 08:26

Pointer Null

39,597
13
90
111

Logged the value of getPrompt after the spinner.setAdapter(adapter); and it shows the correct string in LogCat. – Crunch Oct 03 '11 at 08:43
So try to use debugger - step into Spinner.java (assumes that you download Android source code), and see what's in mPrompt variable when it's used in builder.setTitle(mPrompt); – Pointer Null Oct 03 '11 at 08:59

Android spinner prompt text not showing

XML

Code

3 Answers3

Linked